Rivers govt reveals how Ibas spent ₦302B in six months

The Rivers State government has disclosed to the High Court of Rivers State that over ₦302 billion was spent during the six-month tenure of former sole administrator Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) from March to August 2025.

The revelation came through a counter-affidavit filed by the Rivers State Accountant-General and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) lawsuit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

The lawsuit, filed in October 2025, seeks transparency on government spending during the six-month emergency rule in the state.

According to the documents submitted, Rivers State received ₦253.48 billion from Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) inflows and over ₦44.87 billion from other sources, totaling approximately ₦298.35 billion.

Expenditures included ₦112.41 billion on salaries, pensions, and overheads, and ₦163.44 billion allocated to ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), with over ₦106 billion of this disbursed in August alone.

The exhibits also highlighted multiple large transfers to the Government House, ranging from ₦1.8 million to ₦4.27 billion, and spending on infrastructure, loan servicing, and other government projects. By August 2025, the closing account balance was nearly ₦19.93 billion.

SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare said the organization is currently reviewing the documents “project by project” to determine whether their requests for information have been fully met.

The case, filed under suit number PHC/4153/CS/2025, is pending before Hon. Justice S.H. Aprioku and has been adjourned to 19th May 2026 for further hearing.